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Area Requirements

New Course Numbers

As a result of the move to the new SIS (Student Information System), all University course numbers have been converted from a 3-digit course number to a new 4-digit course number. Use the UREG Crosswalk to search for new numbers.

Overview of Requirements and Restrictions

All undergraduate students except Echols Scholars are required to fulfill Area Requirements by earning the proper number of credits from courses taken in each of five different academic subject areas. The list of subject areas and their related credit requirement is:

  • Social Sciences - 6 credits from two different departments
  • Humanities - 6 credits from two different categories
  • Historical Studies - one 3 or more credit course
  • Non-western Perspectives - one 3 or more credit course
  • Natural Science and Mathematics - 12 credits from two different departments

Transfer credit earned before matriculation may be applied toward fulfillment of area requirements.

It is strongly recommended that all area requirements be completed by the end of the fourth semester.

Courses taken to fulfill an area requirement may count toward a major and also satisfy the Second Writing Requirement.

Classes that qualify for area requirements:

  • Cannot simultaneously meet more than two area requirements, even if cross-listed
  • Cannot be taken for Audit (AU)
  • Cannot be taken Credit/No Credit (CR/NC)
  • Cannot be a Liberal Arts Seminar (LASE)
  • Cannot be a University Seminar (USEM)

To help students keep track of their earned area requirements, the College offers a College Area Requirements Checklist.

Social Sciences (6 credits)

You must pass at least one course worth 3 credits or more from two of the following departments and programs:

  • AMEL 3001, AMEL 3002
  • Anthropology; except ANTH 2370; some foreign language courses offered as ANTH will not satisfy this requirement
  • Economics (except ECON 3710, 3720, 4720)
  • Environmental Sciences (EVSC 2030 only)
  • ETP 3860, ETP 4810
  • Politics; except Political Theory
  • Psychology
  • SAST 2700
  • Sociology
  • Afro-American and African Studies (AAS); except AAS literature courses
  • Linguistics; 2000-level or above
  • Studies in Women and Gender (SWAG)

Courses taken for this requirement may also count toward one other Area Requirement.

Humanities (6 credits)

You must pass at least one course worth 3 credits or more from two of the following groups of departments and programs:

  • Literature
    • Classics (CLAS)
    • Comparative Literature (CPLT)
    • East Asian Language and Cultures (EALC)
    • East Asian Studies (EAST)
    • English (except ENWR 1505/1506, 1510, 2510, 2520, 2700, 2820, 3700, 3710, 3720, 3800, and all ENSP classes below the 3000-level) and Foreign Literature [East Asian Languages, Literatures and Cultures (except CHIN 1010/1020, 2060, JAPN 1010-2020, KOR 1010-2020, and TBTN 1010-2020), French, German, Middle Eastern and South Asian Languages and Cultures (except ARAB 2250, 2260, 3230/5230, and 3240/5240), Slavic Languages and Literatures, and Spanish, Italian, and Portuguese courses in translation, and all foreign language courses above the 2020 level (except PORT 2120, which satisfies the foreign language requirement)].
    • Middle Eastern Studies (MESA)
    • MDST 3000
    • South Asian Studies (SAST -- EXCEPT SAST 2700)
    • South Asian Literature in Translation (SATR)
  • Fine Arts
    • ANTH 2370
    • Art History (ARTH)
    • Studio Art (ARTS; not ARTS 2070)
    • Drama (DRAM)
    • Music (MUSI ONLY)
      (MUBN, MUEN AND MUPF courses do NOT fill this requirement)
    • MDST 2000, 3050, 3100
      Architectural History (AR H) 1000, 1010, 1020, 1700, 2400, 3102, 3701, 3201 and 3203
    • Architecture (ARCH) 1010 (only 3-6 credit courses are accepted).
  • Moral, Philosophical, and Religious Perspectives
    • Political Theory (PLPT)
    • Philosophy (PHIL)
    • Religious Studies
    • MDST 4000

Courses taken for this requirement may also count toward one other Area Requirement.

Historical Studies (3 credits)

You must pass at least one course worth 3 credits or more either from the History Department or from a class determined by the faculty to be substantially historical. Classes that meet this requirement change each semester. Qualifying courses can be found in the SIS Course Catalog.

Courses taken to fulfill the Historical Studies Area Requirement may also count toward fulfilling one other Area Requirement.

Non-Western Perspectives (3 credits)

You must pass at least one course worth 3 or more credits which the faculty recognizes as dealing substantially with a culture other than Western. Classes that meet this requirement change each semester. Classes that meet this requirement change each semester. Qualifying courses can be found in the SIS Course Catalog.

Courses taken to fulfill the Non-Western Perspectives Area Requirement may count also toward fulfilling one other Area Requirement.

Natural Science and Mathematics (12 credits)

Students must pass 12 hours of natural science and/or mathematics courses from at least two departments. Courses that count toward this requirement may be chosen from:

  • The Departments of Astronomy, Biology, Chemistry, Environmental Sciences Mathematics, Physics and Statistics
  • ECON 3710, ECON 3720 and ECON 4720
  • PSYC 2200, PSYC 3210 and PSYC 4200

Students are strongly encouraged to include courses in mathematics, the physical sciences and the biological sciences.

For this requirement, statistics, mathematics and the above three economics courses are considered to come from one department. This means you cannot satisfy this requirement with just these courses.

Exceptions include:

  • ASTR 1000T
  • BIOL 1000T
  • CHEM 1000T
  • EVSC 1000T
  • EVSC 2030
  • MATH 1000T
  • MATH 1030
  • PHYS 1000T

Courses designated as 1000T are equivalencies as determined by the College of Arts & Sciences. These courses are considered elective credit and do not satisfy this requirement.